Champions League: Top 10 players with most appearances | OneFootball

The Champions League is the most prestigious football competition on the planet and we can reveal the top 10 players who have made the most appearances in this tournament.

Originally known as the European Cup (and still referred to as this by many), the inaugural season took place in 1955/56 and quickly became the pinnacle of football on the continent, with the champions of each country competing.

In 1992, it was rebranded as the Champions League, which has since given way to the format we know today. Throughout its near-70-year history, the competition has played host to some of the greatest teams and players the sport has ever seen.

Here is a list of the 10 players with the most Champions League (European Cup) appearances of all time (via World Football Net).

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10 Toni Kroos – 133 appearances

Kroos is one of the most successful Champions League players of all time, with five titles to his name. The first of these came with Bayern Munich in 2013, where he made 41 appearances. The German midfielder then left his homeland to join Real Madrid a year later, where he’s won four titles (2016-18 & 2022) and made 92 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

9 Sergio Ramos & Paolo Maldini – 135 appearances

A tie for ninth place between two of the most legendary defenders of all time, and ones on different sides of the disciplinary spectrum. Maldini made all of his 135 appearances for AC Milan over more than 20 years, winning five titles in the process, via Transfermarkt.

Ramos has won one fewer Champions League titles than Maldini but lifted one more as captain (3-2). His four titles, of course, came with Real where he made 129 of his competition appearances. Six more have come with PSG since signing in 2021. He’ll be looking to join the “five club” with the Parisians, via Transfermarkt.

8 Thomas Muller – 138 appearances

Like Maldini, all of Muller’s 138 appearances have come with one club: Bayern Munich. Making his Champions League debut in 2009 under Louis Van Gaal, the German made a final in his first season. He followed this up with another losing final in 2012 and then wins in 2013 and 2020, via Transfermarkt.

7 Raul – 142 appearances

Raul is certified Real Madrid royalty and one of the best Champions League players of all time, being amongst the top five goalscorers of all time too. 130 of his games came with Los Blancos, as did three titles (1998, 2000, 2002) and a further 12 in his two seasons with Schalke, via Transfermarkt.

6 Ryan Giggs – 145 appearances

Including qualifiers, Giggs just pips Raul to sixth spot in the list. It is little surprise he is this high given his longevity at Manchester United and all-time appearances record for the club. Giggs made his Champions League bow in 1993/94 and his final appearance 20 seasons later in 2013/14, picking up two titles along the way (1999 and 2008), via Transfermarkt.

5 Karim Benzema – 146 appearances

Benzema is another player with five Champions League titles to his name (it’s basically only Real Madrid and Maldini), with titles coming in 2014, 2016-2018 and 2022. This also saw him become the top scorer of the tournament. His first 19 appearances came with Lyon and he’s since added 127 in the white of Real. He is sure to hit 150 before he hangs up the boots, via Transfermarkt.

4 Xavi – 151 appearances

Another one club man when it comes to Champions League appearances is Xavi. His 151 appearances for Barcelona came across a 17-year span from his debut in 1998/99 under Louis Van Gaal (another one), to his final appearance in a victorious final in 2014/15. Three other titles came in 2006, 2009 and 2011, via Transfermarkt.

3 Lionel Messi – 161 appearances

MILAN, ITALY - NOVEMBER 23: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona scores the second goal during the UEFA Champions League group H match between AC Milan and FC Barcelona at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on November 23, 2011 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

In many people’s eyes, the greatest player to ever play the game, Messi made his Champions League bow in 2005/06, being part of the victorious Barcelona winning team that season. Further titles came alongside Xavi, Iniesta and others in 2009, 2011 and 2015. 12 appearances and counting have since come in the colours of PSG, via Transfermarkt.

2 Iker Casillas - 177 appearances

Casillas’ Champions League career started with a bang, as he was thrown into Real Madrid’s goal at the age of 18. His first season (1999/2000) saw him win the whole competition, which was followed up in 2001/02 and 2013/14. 150 appearances with Madrid coupled with 27 at Porto (2015/16-2018/19) place the legendary No.1 in No.2 on this list, via Transfermarkt.

1 Cristiano Ronaldo - 183 appearances

The top scorer ever in Champions League/European Cup history is also the record appearance maker. The bulk of CR7's games (101) and goals came with Real Madrid, where he won four titles (2014, 2016-18). 59 more games and a title (2007/08) came in two stints at Manchester United, while he also played for Juventus 23 times in Europe’s premier competition.

All of this makes him unquestionably the greatest Champions League performer of all time, via Transfermarkt.